Berlin 2005 – scientific programme

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MA: Magnetismus

MA 27: Spindynamik II

MA 27.9: Talk

Tuesday, March 8, 2005, 17:15–17:30, TU H1012

Current-induced precessional magnetization reversal — •Hans Werner Schumacher¹, Claude Chappert², Ricardo C. Sousa³, and Paulo P. Freitas³ — ¹Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Bundesallee 100, D-38116 Braunschweig, Germany — ²Institut d’Electronique Fondamentale, UMR 8622, CNRS, Université Paris Sud, Bât. 220, 91405 Orsay, France — ³Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores, Rua Alves Redol, 9, 1 Dt., P-1000 Lisboa, Portugal

We report magnetization reversal in microscopic current-in-plane spin valves by ultra short current pulses through the device. Current densities of the order of 1011 A/m2 with pulse durations as short as 120 ps reliably and reversibly switch the cells free-layer magnetization. Variations of the pulse parameters and of an easy axis bias field reveal the full signature of precessional switching, which is triggered by the transverse magnetic field generated by the device current. This current switching mode allows for the design of a two-terminal nonvolatile magnetic memory cell combining ultra fast access times and high magnetoresistive readout. The possible scaling of such memory cells towards smaller lateral dimensions is discussed.